The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1887-02-13
THE STAGE.

\ fairly prcttyish profile, a more or less mus.
cal voice, and the prestige oi successful breach
of.promsc suit against foolish young noble.
man appear to have been the elements upon which
Miss FortcsCuc has relied In her appeal to the
pockets II not the admiration OF the American
public. How potent and llninilinp Il 'actor of
popular interest at least one of these has proved,
the crowded houses to which she has uniformly
PLAYED in other cities ns well as Washington fur
nish convincing II not altogether commendnblc
evidence. There is us much rdison do'rc for Miss
Fortoscuc's appearance rs star perhaps, us for
Mr, Gilhorts attempted rehabilitation of the
world-old legend OF the Devil and Dr. Faustus.
Apologies and not acknowledgements are what
the eminent Bnb balladisi and librettist oi the
"p" operas should have rendered on the pro-
grammc to Goethe, Gounod, and even poor Kit
MnrlowC. Dramatic material must hc running
fcnriully low, iugccd, when Mr. Irving In London,
Miss Fortcscuc In the Tntcd States, and Louis
Morrison in New Jersey, are simultaneously
nns1ucradnp In notifications nj this sninc out
worn mcdirvnl myth, none of which are ini-
rroVCmcnts. In the present version there are oc-
Casionul flashes nt Mr. Gilbcrt's snturninc fun,
and other passages with some prctcnsc tn poetic
grace, hut in general it may bc doubted II either
| author or actress have mndo amy contribution To
the literary ur artistic wealth of the world witch
! the world could not very readily have spared.
| Oi the supporting company the veteran actor,
| Mr.. Newton Gutthold, wits easily the leading ng.
urC aud very much M home in the Cungcnial role
| of Mcphisio. We have seen Mr.. Gotthold play
the devil with variety oi roles from Slyioch Il
| Irmrnd Durdl Bv which we mean that
| whether In the ShnkcspcarCnn, romantic. or mod.
| crn puntulOun drama he always invested his i'm.
| pcrSunution with certain cynical and snriuuit
| diabulism strongly suggestive of the character
| wherein this week he carried away the honors II.
well IA the honor of pretty, harmless. littl,
Gretchen. II anything he is rather less dcvilisl
| as N,phiSio than us irmdnd. The FdUstuS o'
| Mr.. Frederick Terry was, On the whole, n pleas
| ingly picturesque, ,ur rather lrvingcsuuc perform
nmCc. He strides about aud digs his heels into tn,
| boards IN u fashion very nnusnrly sugpcstiycu ui
| the greatest ot managers and maroncttcs; and
| in the mudulntions and emphasis of his rather
| agreeable voice bears traces of the same danger
| ously fascinating influence. In "Frou- frou" ant
| Moths" the lack of power which seems to he tn,
+! great drawback in Miss Fortcscuc's acting wa,
illmurc noticeable by the contrast with stronger
| rcnditons IN the past king Rcnc's Daughter,
| u lovely little dyl in blank verse from tn,
! Danish of Henrik Hertz. which we think has no
| been done in this country since its ntogcthc
| charming presentation by Mrs. Scott-Siddons
| was probably more in the line of Miss Fortcscuc'
| powers and personal traits than even Mr. Gilbert
| specially written "Grctchcn" The clinging an,
| pathetic figure of the blind Princess and tn
| gentle and appealing qualities of her nature
| serve Ia bring out the best points OF this youn,
| English girl, who is possibly cssayinU AN eagle
| Hight with the soft and insufficient pluinngc q
| the domestic dove. She was seen To very goo
| advantage also in the graceful sentiment of Nj
| Gilherts clever and charming little comedy q
| "Swecthearts" and leaves behind her in Wash
ington pleasant ii not too profound impression